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How to Plant Passion Fruit

By Bridget Kelly; Updated September 21, 2017

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), native to South America, grows on climbing vines. There are two types: one with purple skin and a larger type with yellow skin. It is seedy and somewhat acidic, and the vine is a vigorous grower, putting on 15 to 20 feet per year. Plant the vine in early spring, as soon as starters become available at the nursery and when all danger of frost has passed.

Prepare a sunny location in the garden. Add 2 inches of sand and 3 inches of compost to the soil and mix it into the top 8 inches.

Construct a trellis, oriented in a north to south direction, for the passion fruit vines. Sink the posts 2 feet into the ground, 15 feet apart. String the wire, beginning at the top of one post, to the second post. String the next wire 12 inches beneath the first wire and continue to string wires, 12 inches apart, until you have reached the soil.

Measure the nursery pots in which the vines are growing. Dig holes the same depth as the pots, and twice the diameter. Vines should be spaced 15 feet apart. Place the holes at both ends of the trellis.

Remove the vine from the nursery container and place it in the hole. Fill the hole with soil and pat the soil at the base of the vine. Place the tips of the vines on the wire and loosely tie them to it. Eventually the vines will cling on their own and you can remove the tie. Orient them to grow toward one another.

Water the passion fruit until the water puddles. Keep the soil moist, not saturated.

Things You Will Need

2 passion fruit plants

Shovel

Sand

Compost

Two 7-foot posts

Trellis wire, 9 or 10 galvanized steel

Soft plant ties

References

About the Author

Based in the American Southwest, Bridget Kelly has been writing about gardening and real estate since 2005. Her articles have appeared at Trulia.com, SFGate.com, GardenGuides.com, RE/MAX.com, MarketLeader.com, RealEstate.com, USAToday.com and in "Chicago Agent" magazine, to name a few. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing.